Kylian Mbappe scored twice, including a stunning strike from just outside the box, as France beat the Netherlands 2-0 in Amsterdam to secure Euro 2024 qualification. After putting Les Bleus ahead with a seventh-minute finish, Mbappe added a breathtaking second eight minutes into the second half, exchanging passes with Adrien Rabiot and sending a curling shot over Bart Verbruggen and into the top corner. Quilindschy Hartman reduced the deficit with seven minutes of normal time remaining. The result extended France’s perfect record in Group B to a sixth victory as they rubber-stamped their place in next summer’s finals in Germany with two fixtures to spare. Their opponents dropped from second to third, replaced by Greece – who won 2-0 against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin. Georgios Giakoumakis and Georgios Masouras scored in the first half as Ireland’s chances of automatic qualification officially came to an end. Greece are now three points clear of the Netherlands, who have a game in hand. In Group F, Belgium sealed progress to the finals with a 3-2 win away against second-placed Austria. The visitors appeared to be cruising after Dodi Lukebakio’s double and a Romelu Lukaku effort had them three goals up before the hour mark. Things then became less comfortable as Konrad Laimer pulled a goal back in the 72nd minute, Belgium were reduced to 10 men by a red card for Amadou Onana six minutes later, and Marcel Sabitzer scored an 84th-minute penalty – but Domenico Tedesco’s side managed to see out the win. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan registered their first win in the group as they beat Estonia 2-0 in Tallinn. Portugal also completed the job of qualification via a 3-2 victory as they defeated Slovakia in Porto, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring twice. Goncalo Ramos and a Ronaldo penalty had the hosts two goals up at half-time, and after David Hancko’s reply, Ronaldo made it 3-1 in the 72nd minute with his 125th international goal. Stanislav Lobotka netted a second for Slovakia, who are second behind Portugal in Group J. Friday’s other matches in the pool saw Iceland and Luxembourg draw 1-1 in Reykjavik and Bosnia and Herzegovina win 2-0 in Liechtenstein. Read More Newcastle boss Eddie Howe hails Alexander Isak’s battling response against PSG Dan Burn’s dream comes true on a ‘special’ night for Newcastle Alan Shearer leads tributes after Newcastle’s Champions League demolition job Eddie Howe praises Jamaal Lascelles for stepping up as Newcastle stun PSG Eddie Howe staying grounded after Newcastle’s ‘amazing night’ against PSG Newcastle’s local heroes stun PSG to twist a tale of geopolitical tension

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The Court of Appeal overturned the dismissal of the case by a Los Angeles County trial court in April 2021 and issued a tentative ruling directing the case to proceed to trial.

Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan insisted Thursday that his under-performing teammates believe "miracles can happen" as the former champions enter a "do-or-die" battle to rescue...

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A group of scientists and philosophers claim to have identified a “missing law of nature”, in a discovery which has huge implications for our understanding of how, basically, everything works. Most of us are familiar with the names – if not the intricacies – of many of the physical laws which govern the world and beyond, such as gravity and thermodynamics. And yet, no established physical law has been able to describe the behaviours of countless complex systems that exist across the universe – until now. In a paper published in the PNAS journal on 16 October, a multidisciplinary team from some of the US’s top institutes and universities, unveiled a new law claiming to do just that. In a nutshell, their law states that evolution is not limited to life on Earth, it also occurs in other massively complex systems – from planets to atoms. This means that these systems naturally “evolve” to states of greater diversity, and complexity. In other words, the researchers found evolution to be a common feature of the natural world's complex systems which, according to the Carnegie Institution for Science, comprise the following characteristics: “They are formed from many different components, such as atoms, molecules, or cells, that can be arranged and rearranged repeatedly “Are subject to natural processes that cause countless different configurations to be formed.” Only a small fraction of these configurations survive via a process of natural selection called “selection for function”. According to the researchers, regardless of whether the system is living or nonliving, when a new configuration works and function improves, evolution occurs. The authors' new law – which they have christened "the Law of Increasing Functional Information" – states that the system will evolve "if many different configurations of the system undergo selection for one or more functions." "An important component of this proposed natural law is the idea of 'selection for function,'" the study’s lead author, astrobiologist Dr Michael L. Wong, explained. The team’s research builds on Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection, which suggests the function exists to ensure the “survival of the fittest”. For their work, Dr Wong and his team expanded on this perspective, pointing to the existence of three types of this selection for function in nature. The first, most basic type, they claim, is stability – the stable arrangements of atoms or molecules which are selected to continue. Second, are dynamic systems which are selected for their ongoing supplies of energy. And the third, and most intriguing, function is "novelty" – the tendency of evolving systems to explore new configurations which can lead to surprising new behaviours or characteristics. Novelties are, ironically, nothing new. Indeed, life’s evolutionary history is rich with examples: photosynthesis evolved when single cells learned to harness light energy; multicellular life evolved when cells learned to cooperate; and species evolved thanks to advantageous new behaviours such as walking and thinking. The same type of evolution happens in the mineral kingdom, as the Carnegie Institution for Science notes in a release published by Phys.org. Indeed, Earth's minerals, which began with about 20 at the dawn of our solar system, now number almost 6,000 known today. This is thanks to the ever more complex physical, chemical, and biological processes which have occurred over the past 4.5 billion years. The paper also notes that just two major elements – hydrogen and helium – formed the first stars shortly after the big bang. Those earliest stars then used this hydrogen and helium to create around 20 heavier chemical elements, which was built upon by the next generation of stars. "Charles Darwin eloquently articulated the way plants and animals evolve by natural selection, with many variations and traits of individuals and many different configurations," co-author and research lead Robert M. Hazen explained. "We contend that Darwinian theory is just a very special, very important case within a far larger natural phenomenon. “The notion that selection for function drives evolution applies equally to stars, atoms, minerals, and many other conceptually equivalent situations where many configurations are subjected to selective pressure." The new law has a number of exciting implications, including a deeper understanding of how the Universe itself came to exist. It could also help explain how life differs from other complex evolving systems, and could help aid the search for life elsewhere. Furthermore, at a time when increasingly autonomous AI systems are of increasing concern, it’s very handy to have a law that characterises how both natural and symbolic systems evolve. It also offers insights into how we could artificially influence the rate of evolution of some systems which, again, could prove invaluable. The key point to remember, as Dr Wong put it, is that whilst life is the “most striking example of evolution”, it’s not the only one. Evolution, it transpires, is everywhere. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday he would back Sweden's NATO candidacy if the European Union resumes long-stalled...

The last time United Parcel Service went on strike in 1997, Amazon was still just a jungle in South America to most US consumers. If they went online at all, they probably did it via dial-up modem, and rarely to shop.

Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor has revealed that his prostate cancer is “asymptomatic”, after he was previously told he needed “palliative, end-of-life care”. The Northumberland-raised musician, 62, was diagnosed with stage-four prostate cancer in 2018. After he was unable to attend Duran Duran’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year, his bandmates – singer Simon Le Bon, keyboardist Nick Rhodes, bassist John Taylor and drummer Roger Taylor – read his letter informing them of his diagnosis to the audience at the ceremony in Los Angeles. Following the ceremony, Taylor approached a doctor who told him about a treatment involving radioactive chemicals given intravenously, which would target only cancer cells. In an interview with The Times, Taylor disclosed that he is “radioactive for several days” after receiving the treatment and is unable to sleep in the same room as someone else or use public transport. “I was classified as palliative, end-of-life care ... and now I’m not; I’m asymptomatic,” he told the publication. He called the scientist, who identified and recommended the treatment, Christopher Evans, the “Elon Musk of cancer”. He also said he was touched that Le Bon read out his letter at the Hall of Fame ceremony: “It takes someone with a very special quality from their heart to do that and not drop a word. People don’t realise he’s actually quite a classy guy.” Taylor said two symptoms alerted him that something was wrong: bone pain while jogging, which he almost mistook for arthritis after his years of live performances, and erectile dysfunction, which was masked by Taylor’s use of Viagra. Asked about the prospect of returning to Duran Duran, he also said: “No, I’m not going to rejoin the band ... I would not say no to (part time for) the opportunity, particularly for the fans, but as I keep reminding people, you have to be asked.” In the same interiew, however, Taylor also rubbished a rumour that he “can’t stand” his former bandmate, Nick Rhodes. The Birmingham-formed Duran Duran were one of the biggest acts of the 1980s, with hits including “Rio”, “The Wild Boys”, and the James Bond theme “A View To A Kill”. They released their 15th studio album, Future Past, in 2021and are currently touring North America with special guests Nile Rodgers and Chic, and Bastille. Next month, Taylor is scheduled to release Man’s a Wolf to Man, his first solo album in decades. Additional reporting by Press Association Read More ‘A genuine shambles’: The Strokes fans leave All Points East festival early due to ‘sound issues’ Scooter Braun ‘refused to cut vacation short’ for Ariana Grande relationship drama ‘I still speak to him’: Johannes Radebe responds to John Whaite revealing he fell in love with Strictly pro Duran Duran’s Andy Taylor rubbishes rumour he ‘can’t stand’ former bandmate The Strokes fans leave London festival early over ‘sound issues’ Miley Cyrus emotionally addresses Sinead O’Connor feud over Wrecking Ball

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said he warned Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin twice to watch out for threats to his life.

Abortion rights in the U.S. faced another tectonic shift Tuesday as lawmakers debated laws to sharply limit abortion in North and South Carolina, two of the few remaining Southern states with relatively easy access

We look back at the history of Thanksgiving to explain how turkey, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie got on your plate.