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Russian President Vladimir Putin is in India amid growing unease in India–US relations and the stalled 2025 Quad summit. Although the trip, from December 4-5, falls under the India-Russia annual dialogue mechanism, expectations are high over potential defense outcomes, particularly whether New Delhi will seek additional S-400 air defense regiments. India purchased five S-400 regiments for about US$5 billion in 2018 and is now considering five more following the system’s reported success during this year’s Operation Sindoor against Pakistan. Indian Defense Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh has said further acquisitions “cannot be ruled out” but cautioned against expecting an announcement during…

Jeff CarlisleDec 4, 2025, 09:24 PM ETCloseJeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. national team for ESPN FC.WASHINGTON — MLS commissioner Don Garber hailed the league’s progress over the past season, stating that while he wouldn’t rule out adopting relegation and promotion, any decision is years or decades away.”There’s no real point of saying never because I don’t know what the future would look like,” Garber said about promotion/relegation on Thursday night during a news conference at D.C. United’s Audi Stadium. “I certainly never thought we would adapt to the international calendar.”Garber cited the significant owner investment in stadiums and…

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal appeals court on Thursday rejected the Trump administration’s bid to halt an order requiring it to release millions of dollars in grants meant to address the shortage of mental health workers in schools.The mental health program, which was funded by Congress after the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, included grants meant to help schools hire more counselors, psychologists and social workers, with a focus on rural and underserved areas of the country. But President Donald Trump’s administration opposed aspects of the grant programs that touched on race, saying they were harmful to students…

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Asian shares were mixed on Friday after the U.S. stock market held near its records in a quiet day of trading.U.S. futures were higher while oil prices fell.Japan’s Nikkei 225 trimmed gains from the previous day, shedding 1.2% to 50,408.70. Government data showed household spending in Japan fell 3.0% year-on-year in October, below market expectation for a light increase and the sharpest drop since January 2024. Technology shares declined, with computer chip testing equipment maker Advantest Corp. down nearly 2.3% and chip maker Tokyo Electron falling 2.8%.Traders were acting cautiously ahead of a key U.S. inflation…

DUMAYR, Syria (AP) — A raid by U.S. forces and a local Syrian group aiming to capture an Islamic State group official instead killed a man who had been working undercover gathering intelligence on the extremists, family members and Syrian officials have told The Associated Press.The killing in October underscores the complex political and security landscape as the United States begins working with interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in the fight against remnants of IS.According to relatives, Khaled al-Masoud had been spying on IS for years on behalf of the insurgents led by al-Sharaa and then for al-Sharaa’s interim government,…

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — For Googoosh, Iran’s most-famous singer, life always has been balancing act of one kind or another. It began as a child, performing with her acrobat father who balanced her on a chair atop another chair resting only on his chin. Then later, as an icon of stage and screen during the last years of the shah, her looks and hairstyles were copied by Iranian women who wanted to look more “Googooshi,” a Farsi adjective all her own. Then came the decades of silence after Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, barred from performing, only to return…

NEW DELHI (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday at an annual summit and agreed to diversify mutual economic ties, as the United States presses India to revise its decades-old partnership with Russia.The 23rd Russia-India Summit comes at a pivotal moment as the U.S. pushes for a Ukraine peace deal while seeking global cooperation. It will test New Delhi’s efforts to balance relations with Moscow and Washington as the nearly four-year war in Ukraine grinds on. Putin was received by Modi at an airport in New Delhi on Thursday. The Indian…

MANCHESTER, England — The UEFA Champions League is there for Manchester United if they want it. Apparently, though, they don’t.The 1-1 draw with West Ham United at Old Trafford on Thursday was another example of an opportunity missed. At one point, leading 1-0 thanks to Diogo Dalot’s second-half goal, Ruben Amorim’s team was fifth in the table and level on points with Chelsea. That was before West Ham midfielder Soungoutou Magassa’s 83rd-minute equalizer sent United tumbling back down to eighth.Amorim has been cautious when asked this season if qualifying for the Champions League is a realistic aim, and you can…

MANCHESTER , England — Ruben Amorim said he was ” frustrated and angry” after watching Manchester United concede a late equaliser as West Ham earned a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford on Thursday.Soungoutou Magassa scored in the 83rd minute to cancel out Diogo Dalot’s opener as United missed the opportunity to move into the top five of the Premier League table.- Man United, Premier League rivals benefit from AFCON release delayAmorim was left to bemoan the sloppy late goal, which started from a long ball forward that United’s defence failed to deal with.”Frustrated, angry, that’s it,” said the Portuguese coach…

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) after the opening bell in New York on Dec. 5, 2025.Angela Weiss | AFP | Getty ImagesThe S&P 500 edged higher on Friday, on pace for its fourth straight winning day, as traders digested inflation data that could provide further incentive for the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates next weekThe broad market index traded up 0.2%, putting the index about 0.7% off its intraday record. The Nasdaq Composite increased 0.3%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 160 points, or 0.3%.The market sorted through a fresh slate…